Cleveland Public Library will celebrate authors, illustrators, and publishers during the virtual 2022 Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Awards ceremony.
This year’s winner is critically-acclaimed author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Cozbi A. Cabrera for their book, Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Published by Abrams Books, Exquisite is about the first Black person to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Additionally, four authors received Sugarman Honor Awards:
- Nina: A Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd and illustrator Christian Robinson; published by G.P. Putnam’s Son’s Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
- Lizzie Demands a Seat! by Beth Anderson and artistrator E.B. Lewis; published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers
- The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice McGinty and illustrator Shonto Begay; published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
- The Elephants Come Home: A True Story of Seven Elephants, Two People, and One Extraordinary Friendship by Kim Tomsic and illustrated by Hadley Hooper; published by Chronicle Books
The Sugarman Award is given biennially, and the award recipients are chosen by a committee appointed by Cleveland Public Library.
The award was established by Joan G. Sugarman in memory of her husband, Norman A. Sugarman, a prominent tax attorney who was born and raised in Cleveland and later served in Washington, D.C.
Sugarman Committee
- Annisha Jeffries, Chair of the Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Committee and Youth Services Manager at Cleveland Public Library
- Erica Marks, Youth Services Program Director at Cleveland Public Library
- Tracy Isaac, Lending Assistant Supervisor at Cleveland Public Library, Hough Reads Coordinator
- Rhonda Crowder, Glenville Branch Children’s Librarian
- Peter Roth, Memorial-Nottingham Branch Librarian
- Joanna Rivera, Lan Gao, Youth Services Librarian at Cleveland Public Library, and
- Charles Ellenbogen, English teacher at Campus International High School.